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Thursday, 10 Apr 2014

Written Answers 80-86

County and City Enterprise Boards Abolition

Questions (80)

Willie Penrose

Question:

80. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in relation to the merger of city and county enterprise boards into the local authority service, the number of staff by grade that opted to go to Enterprise Ireland; the number that opted for incorporation into their local authority structure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17095/14]

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Written answers

Under the provisions of the CEB Dissolution Act 2014, the designation of staff in the City and County Enterprise Boards (CEBs) to either Forfás/Enterprise Ireland (EI) or their Local Authority (LA) will take effect when the CEBs are dissolved on 15 April next. On the basis of the preferences expressed by those concerned, the following designations have been made:

Grade

No. Designated to LA

No. Designated to EI

CEO

18

7

Asst. CEO

14

8

Business Advisor

15

11

Administrator

31

5

It should be noted that a number of people working in the CEBs were not included in the staff option process due to the status of their employment.

Industrial Relations

Questions (81)

Willie Penrose

Question:

81. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will confirm that his Department is refusing to co-operate with a request for a referral to the LRC on the three outstanding industrial relations issues remaining regarding the proposed merger of the city and county enterprise boards into the local authority service; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that such a refusal to engage in the referral process is a breach of the Croke Park and Haddington Road agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17096/14]

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Written answers

My Department recently concluded an independently-chaired Industrial Relations Facilitation process with IMPACT on a number of issues relating to the dissolution of the City and County Enterprise Boards (CEBs) and the delivery of those functions through the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs).

Following that process, my Department received a letter from the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) informing us that IMPACT has referred to them a dispute with my Department concerning the dissolution of the CEBs and the transfer of staff and their functions to Local Authorities, and inviting the Department to attend a conciliation conference between the parties concerned.

The issues in dispute by IMPACT were not specified. My Department has sought clarification as to the nature of the issues that IMPACT has now raised so that it can respond meaningfully to the invitation. That clarification is awaited.

Child Benefit Reform

Questions (82)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

82. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to change the conditions of the children's allowance (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17030/14]

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Written answers

Child benefit is a monthly universal payment made to families with children, which assists all parents with the cost associated with raising children. Child benefit is paid to around 616,000 families in respect of some 1.17 million children, with an estimated expenditure of around €1.9 billion. The Government is conscious that child benefit is an important source of income for all families. Any changes to the universal nature of child benefit could only be decided in a budgetary context.

Pension Provisions

Questions (83)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

83. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to reinstate the transition pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17052/14]

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Written answers

The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provides that State pension age will be increased gradually to 68 years. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State pension (transition) available at 65, thereby standardising State pension age for all at 66 years. State pension age will increase further to 67 in 2021 and 68 in 2028. I have no plans to reinstate the State pension transition.

The State pension (transition) was introduced in 1970 when it was known as the retirement pension. It was designed to bridge the gap between the standard social welfare pension age, which at that time was 70 years of age, and retirement age. Over time, the age for State pension (contributory) pension was reduced to 66 years.

All short term social welfare schemes are payable to age 66. The main social welfare payment available to those who leave employment before pension age is jobseeker’s benefit. Persons who qualify for a jobseeker’s benefit who are aged between 65 and 66 years are generally entitled to receive payment up to the date on which they reach pensionable age (66 years). In the case of a job seeker’s benefit recipient aged under 65 whose claim spans from one benefit year into another, a new relevant tax year requirement is not applied in the case of the job seeker's entitlement relating to the second benefit year. A further provision states that 3 waiting days do not have to be served for jobseeker's assistance in the case of certain people aged between 65 and 66 years who have been in receipt of jobseeker's benefit within the past year.

In addition, I was happy to be able to introduce new arrangements for older job seekers, i.e. those aged 62 and over who have left work before reaching the State pension age of 66 and who wish to claim a jobseeker’s payment. With effect from 1 January 2014, fully unemployed job seekers aged 62 or over will be placed on yearly signing and will be given the option of transferring to EFT payments. Furthermore, they will not be subject to mandatory activation measures but may avail of employment supports which will continue to be available to them and they will not be subject to activation-related sanctions.

Finally, social welfare supports will continue to be available to those who need it most and where a person fails to meet the qualifying conditions of an insurance based scheme, a means tested assistance payment may be available provided they satisfy the qualifying conditions.

Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals

Questions (84)

Jack Wall

Question:

84. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection when an appeal regarding an application for domiciliary care allowance payment will be decided in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17074/14]

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Written answers

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 11 March 2014. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral appeal hearing.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.

Rent Supplement Scheme Payments

Questions (85, 98)

Jonathan O'Brien

Question:

85. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to revise upwards the maximum rent limits applicable to rent supplement in County Cork. [17075/14]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

98. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which an increase in maximum allowable rent support will be made to facilitate those currently on local authority housing lists who are not able to meet current rent level requirements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17205/14]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 98 together.

The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources and who do not have accommodation available to them from another source. There are currently approximately 78,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014. Following an extensive review of the private rental market revised maximum rent limits were introduced from Monday 17 June 2013 until 31 December 2014. Despite the overall pressures on the social protection budget, there have been increases in the rent limits in Dublin, Galway, North Kildare and Bray areas including some increases in Cork. The fact that approximately 78,000 people are currently in receipt of rent supplement shows that a significant number of landlords are accommodating applicants on the scheme.

The latest Daft.ie rental report indicates that the number of advertised rental units in Dublin has declined from 6,700 in 2009 to under 1,500 at the end of 2013. This report also states that rent levels are static in areas outside Dublin, including Cork, Galway and Limerick cities. Analysis shows that properties are available in County Cork within the current maximum rent limits. In the Dublin area in particular, prospective tenants, including those seeking to access rent supplement, are now finding it increasingly difficult to secure appropriate accommodation due to the reduced availability of rental properties. Increasing the maximum rent limits for rent supplement will not resolve this difficulty, due to the reduced level of supply, and would result in further increases in rental costs for all persons renting including those on reduced incomes and students. I have no plans to revise the existing rent limits at this time.

Department officials administering rent supplement have considerable experience in dealing with customers of the scheme and will continue to make every effort to ensure that their accommodation needs are met and that the residence is reasonably suited to their residential and other needs. The Department continues to monitor trends in the private rental market to determine the impact on rent supplement recipients and is working closely with Dublin City Council and Threshold to ensure that the necessary arrangements can be put in place in respect of vulnerable families in receipt of rent supplement.

The Department’s strategic policy direction is to return rent supplement to its original purpose of a short term income support. In July 2013 the Government approved the introduction of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). Under HAP, responsibility for recipients of rent supplement with a long-term housing need will transfer from the Department of Social Protection to local authorities. Officials in the Department are working closely with those in the lead Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, in piloting HAP in Limerick City and County Council with further roll out to selected local authorities during the year.

Question No. 86 withdrawn.
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